


The One Who Walks in the Sun

by ShibaScarf



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: 80's Setting, F/F, Fluff, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23411170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShibaScarf/pseuds/ShibaScarf
Summary: For the Boostle Giftathon on Tumblr.Prompt:  “Rule 63”. Either everyone's a different gender than they are in canon, one character is another gender and the rest are the same as in canon or something else in this vein.Went for a distinctly 80's power suit theme for this one.  :)
Relationships: Michael Carter/Ted Kord
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	The One Who Walks in the Sun

Theodora Kord was fascinating to one Michaela “Booster” Carter.

  
Gender in the 25th Century had been, by and large, a sort of “choose your own” endeavor. Booster, prior to arriving in the past, had never paid the whole thing much thought. There were things she liked to wear, and things she didn’t. The clothes options in the 20th century were different, but not especially limiting. As long as Booster could wear some comfortable trousers and a well-tailored top, she was happy. And if her so-called “androgynous” look got her a few stares, it didn’t matter much. Booster was secure in her femininity. There seemed very little point in trying to change herself for the benefit of others. Booster had never fancied herself a chameleon; she simply dressed and behaved the way she was, regardless of the situation.

  
But Theodora— or, Teddy, as she preferred to be called— was a native to the 20th century, and as such, had a complexity to her that evoked endless curiosity in Booster. There was Teddy in costume as the Blue Beetle, for example: all efficiency and sleekness, with hair meticulously tucked away under her cowl and huge yellow goggles that obscured her face. This was the Teddy that Booster had first met, and so was generally the standard to which all other varieties were compared. This Teddy went hand-in-hand with Post-Mission Teddy, which was much the same thing, but for the removal of the cowl. Often pink-faced, with a line along her skin where the goggles had bitten into her flesh, and her hair damp with sweat, so that only a few curls escaped to frame her features. Booster had looked at Post-Mission Teddy for the first time and thought _Oh_. And then _Uh Oh_. And that had been the start of Booster’s fascination.

  
There was Pre-Coffee Teddy, clean faced and sleepy, with hair still wet from the shower. Fitness Teddy, who wore sweats and braided her hair to keep it from flying into her face while she worked on her flips and tumbles. Mechanic Teddy, another of Booster’s favorites, was the Teddy one encountered in the garage, working on the Bug. She would wear coveralls, her hair piled into a massive bun, and often sported grease stains on her cheeks like war paint. 

  
There was one Teddy that remained elusive and rare, such that Booster often found herself inventing excuses to stop by Kord Industries in the hopes of seeing her— Business Teddy. Most of the time that Booster went to visit Teddy at the office, she was either too busy with boardroom meetings to see Booster at all, or she was down in Research and Development, which inevitably meant some iteration of Mechanic Teddy. Which was nothing to complain about, of course, but it wasn’t like Business Teddy. _Nothing_ was like Business Teddy.

  
On this particular afternoon, however, Booster was surprised and delighted when the secretary waved her into Teddy’s office. Some early afternoon meeting with a board member had been canceled, it seemed. Booster resisted the urge to smile giddily as she made her way into the office and beheld Business Teddy in all of her glory.

  
And lo, on this day, Theodora Kord did not disappoint. She was marching back and forth in front of her desk, speaking briskly into her office phone, but she gave Booster a quick, tight-lipped grin and gestured for Booster to take a seat in one of the nearby chairs. Booster did so eagerly, as this gave her the perfect moment to really take in what Business Teddy had to offer today. Teddy was certainly a vision today, in a short skirt and matching jacket of blue striped gingham. The shoulder pads of the jacket were wide and stiff, in the typical fashion of the time period. The entire outfit was in shades of blue, from the bright blouse beneath the jacket to the darker tights and heeled shoes. There were large sparkling diamond earrings in Teddy’s ears, that peeked out from underneath her hair. And that hair— For once, Teddy’s hair wasn’t pulled back or braided into submission. It was wild, curled, and full-bodied. Business Teddy was the version of Theodora at her most feminine, and it was inexplicably entrancing for Booster. It was like getting to see a side of Teddy that hardly anyone else in their line of work ever got see, something reserved for maintaining a civilian facade. 

  
Teddy hung up the phone and turned to Booster, leaning back on her desk and distractedly carding one hand through her mane of hair.

  
“Sorry about that,” she said. “Heya, Boost.”

  
Booster grinned. “Right back atcha, Ted. How’s the Rat Race?”

  
“Abysmal,” Teddy said, hopping a little to sit on her desk and cross her legs. “I got all dolled up for a meeting today, and then it got canceled. I feel like Barbie in this stupid get-up.” She pursed her lips, which Booster couldn’t help but notice were wearing a light shimmer of gloss.

  
“I think you look great,” Booster offered. “I mean, it’s different, but nice.”

  
“That’s kind of you to say,” Teddy said, frowning down at one heeled shoe and flexing her foot. “I wish I could just throw on a blazer like you do. You always look like some kind of European supermodel. But with my curves, I’d probably just look frumpy, and we can’t have _that_.”

  
Booster looked down at her own outfit, puzzled. Sure, her body was longer and leaner than Teddy’s, but she thought Teddy would look just fine in something similar. Handsome, even. Although maybe that was the problem.

  
“Anything can look good on you if you just get it tailored well,” Booster said. “Besides, my look is… somewhat less than ‘feminine’ by this century’s standards. That’s not what you’re aiming for with this, right?” She gestured to Teddy’s outfit, which Teddy looked glumly down at.

  
“No,” Teddy agreed. “Unfortunately, the reality is that investors prefer to see a certain kind of woman as the CEO of a multi-million dollar company. So I have to play the role for them, at least in appearance.” She kicked her feet a little petulantly against the desk. “God, my eyes itch. I hate not being able to touch my face when I have the clown mask on.”

  
“Stop,” Booster chuckled, coming a little closer. “You’re barely wearing any make-up. You should see what they put on me at my commercial shoots.”

  
“Well, it’s a lot for me,” Teddy pouted. “Maybe I’m allergic to this eye-liner. Do I look like I’m breaking out in hives?”

  
“No,” Booster said, rolling her eyes. Teddy didn’t look convinced, so she stepped even closer and gently tipped Teddy’s face up to the light by her chin. “Fine, let me see.”

  
It really wasn’t all that much make-up, especially for the decade. Some very light foundation and concealer, but a little heavier on the blush side, which trailed along Teddy’s cheekbones. The eyeshadow was liberally applied, but in shades of bronze instead of the neon colors that were generally so popular. This was set-off by the blue kohl that lined Teddy’s eyes, as well as the thick mascara that was surprisingly unclumped. Booster had a hell of a time doing that, herself. It looked quite stunning, frankly.

  
“Well?” Teddy asked, her voice almost a whisper because of how near Booster’s face was to hers. Booster belatedly remembered what she was supposed to be looking for.

  
“All clear,” Booster murmured. “Everything looks gorgeous.” Teddy made to dip her head, but couldn’t, as Booster still had one hand beneath her jaw. Instead, she fluttered her eyes closed and giggled breathlessly. “You smell amazing, too,” Booster said. “I love that perfume.”

  
“You would say that, you narcissist,” Teddy said, reaching up to take Booster’s hand and pull it away. She held onto it though, letting her fingers slip into the hollow of Booster’s palm. Booster blinked down at their hands and then back up to Teddy’s wry smile. She tried to process Teddy’s words.

  
“Hold on— Is that _Dusk_? Are you wearing _Dusk_?” Booster had shot an ad for Dusk perfume just a few months ago. A two-page magazine spread, actually, that Teddy had taped to the wall in the training room and mocked mercilessly.

  
“I bought a bottle of it as a joke, but it turns out I like the smell of it,” Teddy admitted. Booster could see blush (real blush, not make-up) beginning to bloom across Teddy’s nose and cheeks.

  
Booster couldn’t think of anything clever to say in response, so she leaned in and closed the distance between their mouths. Teddy sighed happily and let go of Booster’s hand so that she could clutch both sides of her face and pull her in closer. Booster happily obliged, and meant to brace herself on the desk with one hand, but her fingers landed on Teddy’s leg instead. Her pantyhose were cool to the touch, and when Booster gently raked her nails across the material, Teddy squeaked in a way that was equal parts adorable and delicious.

  
Honestly, things were going incredibly well, right up until the point where Booster made to run her fingers through Teddy’s hair and got snagged. That cooled them both off in a hurry.

  
“Ow,” Teddy said, miserably, once Booster managed to untangle her hand. Teddy grabbed a tissue and dabbed delicately at her eyes, trying very hard not to smear her make-up even though her eyes were watering a little from the pain. “Sorry, I should have warned you— my hair is teased to death right now.”

  
“Duly noted,” Booster said, grabbing another tissue to wipe the lip gloss off of her face. “Business Teddy’s hair is _not_ for playing with.”

  
“Business Teddy?” Teddy asked, and Booster’s stomach flip-flopped. Oh lord, she’d said that out loud.

  
“Well,” Booster said, somewhat awkwardly. “Like, you have different styles for different things— I mean, like… Blue Beetle Teddy, or Fitness Teddy or—”

  
She was silenced when Teddy put a finger to her lips and smiled.

  
“Tell you what,” she said, with a cheeky grin. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. How’s about you pick me up at 8:00, and I’ll introduce you to Date Night Teddy?”

  
“Wowzers,” Booster whispered, and then, louder— “Um. Right. 8:00.” She collected herself as best she could and adjusted her blazer. “Right. Well, I should let you get back to work. I’m sure you have big CEO business to take care of.”

  
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Teddy said, wrinkling her nose. “But you’re right. I should get back to it. See you tomorrow?”

  
“Tomorrow,” Booster promised.

  
And if she couldn’t keep a stupidly silly grin off her face on her way back to the elevator, then that was just fine. Theodora Kord, in whatever guise she took on, always seemed to have that effect on Booster. Tangled hair and all.

**Author's Note:**

> love you all! hope everyone is staying safe at home.
> 
> image references:  
> ted: https://mmlafleur.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/8532085_f260.jpg
> 
> booster: https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_j3-dShgXqT8/SdBO1RVfj8I/AAAAAAAAAFk/F5djwe7VnKw/s320/armani.jpeg


End file.
